Railway pavement and method of making it



Dec. 15, 1925.

M. F. BRAMLEY RAILWAY PAVEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed July 18.1924 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES MATTEEW F. BRAMLEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RAILWAY PAVEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING IT.

Application filed July 18, 1924. Serial No. 726,758.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW F. BRAM- LEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at 11420 Harbor View Drive, city of Cleveland, in thegtate of Ohio and county of Cuyahoga, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railway Pavements and Methods of Making Them, of whichthe following is a specification, the principle of the invention beingherein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthat principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention pertains to a railway construction and more particularly toa railway pavement or thatvportion of a pavement which is locatedbetween the rails of one particular track. The method of building myinvention is likewise believed to be novel.

I-Ieretofore, so far as I am aware, street pavements between track railshave generally been what may be termed a unitary structure, either ofcemented brick, tarred or cemented cobble stones or an asphaltum layer.While said pavement strips have been mainly at an approximate level withthe treads of the rails, a recess or depression had to be providedalongside of the inner side of the rails of suflicient depth to permitthe rotating passage of the wheel flange and of sufficient width toallow for the inevitable side play of the'wheel flange The outer bordersof the brick or cobble stone pavements could not be feasibly spaced anadequate distance from the rails because lateral support for theimbedded border units even though a yielding filler like tar besupplied. In consequence, the wheel flanges soon fractured and loosenedthe edge units. If an asphalt pavement be spread closely against therails the flanges of the wheels so severely punished the borders as tovery soon distort and fracture them. The automobile, espe cially trucks,contributed to the progressive injury of the bordersof the pavementstrips 7 under consideration.

- The object of my invention is to provide a remedy for the previousfaulty, unsightly ultimately expensive and sometimes dangerousconstructions.

I propose the use of curbing as elongated units, with appropriatemodification opposite the fish plates employed at the rail joints, whichit is my initial intention to factory form .of rich concrete andpreferably s mbmfi i g' metal reenforcement. The curb ing includes anupper pavement surface substantially level with the rail treads whileanother upper surface portion nearest the. rail is depressed andprojects below the rail head to form in conjunction with the side of therail head a trough of adequate depth and width for any expectablemovementof the wheel flange. Preferably, the curbing is slightly spacedfrom the rail to' permit of the positioning therebetween of a suitableyielding substance'to allow for rail vibration. Pitch may be poured insaid longitudinally extending space. After the rails are adjusted andfixed in place and a suitable sub-foundation has been provided, Isupport the curbing in its proper spaced relation to the rail. This maybe accomplished by temporarily clamping the curbing sections to therails or in any other satisfactory manner holding them in place duringthe time required for an indurating foundation to become hard.Thereafter, any preferred type of pavement may be laid between the tworuns of curbing so as to be flush with the pavement surfaces of thelatter.

Adverting to the drawings Fig. I is a perspective view of one of thenovel elements, the curbing, of my railway construction.

Fig. II is a vertical cross-section of a railway track together with itssub-foundation and also showing on one side one of my curbing elementstemporarily clamped in place. I v

Fig. III is a view corresponding toFig. II with the addition as afurther step in the method of a layer of'concrete in which the curbingelements, inwardly adjacent both rails, are shown to be partiallyembedded.

Fig. IV is a sectional view similar to Figs. II and III after completionof the method, the temporary clamps having been removed and the uppersurfacing pavement layer added. Broken views of a pair, of car wheelsare also illustrated.

Fig. V is an enlarged broken view of a part of Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a perspective View of a precast concrete curbing modified bythe provision of a lateral recess for occupation by a fish plate.

My curbing element 1, preferably pre cast of rich concrete is reinforcedby a tie rod arrangement 2. The lower side of the curbing is roughenedat as by serrations or co mngations, The upper side Of the and thicknessas may be determined by the conditions with which the contractor isconfronted.

Upon the sub-foundation 6 rails 7 have their bases 8 rest. The rails 7are provided with heads 9 of conventional shape. Railway ties (notshown, since common to the art) may be employed to hold the rails inproper alinement. The curbing elements 1 are then caused to rest upon asuitable num ber of supports it) so that the thinner sides of thecurbing elements project underneath the head 9 of the rail. Any su tabletype of clamp ll co-acts to hold the curb ing elements temporarily in aposition in which they appear in Figs. H and Ill. It will be observedthat a slight space is left between the smaller sides of the curbingelement and the rail. The purpose of pro viding this free space will belater explained. Next, concrete 12 is poured in be tween the rails,appropriately tamped underneath the curbing elements which are inwardlyadjacent a pair of parallel rails, and allowed to indiu'atc toapproximately the level shown in Fig. Ill, after which the clamps 11 maybe removed. will be observed in Fig. Ill opposed sides converge in adownward direct-ion. Thereafter, pitch 13 or any other suitable yieldingsubstance is poured into the open space provided between the smallerside of the curbing elements and the inside of the rail as is clearlyshown in Fig. V. The object of the pitch 13 is to permit of railvibration without causing displacement of the curbing elements as willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art. Finally, the upperlayer of pavement 14. asphalt being shown, is spread upon the concrete1? and rolled to have a slightly convex upper surface, the sides ofwhich being level with the tops of the curbing elements. hen completedthe depressions 4 will provide clearing space for flanges 15 of carwheels 16, and the clearwill be sufficient both downwardly and sidewaysto allow any expectable play of the wheel flange as suggested by thedotted lines at the left side of Fig. IV.

My railway pavement construction will be seen to provide a uniformlyadequate channel adjacent the inner side of the rail head for all exceptinordinate wheel movements. Even if the wheel flange should 00-casionally strike one of my curbing ele ments, the length and strengthof the latter will be able to resist the punishment to which it might besubjected. The whole construction will tend to maintain its shape, whileloads carried by the surface 1 1- will tend to spread the curbingelements outwardly and to hold them in proper position with respect tothe rails.

The modified form shown in Fig. VI illustrates the curbing element 1'?provided with a lateral cutout 18 as the space to be occupied by a fishplate and will evidence applicants recognition that other suitablemodifications should be made to some of the curbing elements to adaptthem to frogs, switches, etc.

I claim 1. The method of making a railway construction which consists intemporarily supporting elongated rail curbing so as to extend lengthwisealongside of the inner sides of a pair of parallel rails forming atrack, and so as to be spaced therefrom, and then supplying aninduratable mass of material underneath said curbing.

2. The method of making. a street railway which consists in supportingelongated rail curbing elements in an elevated position and so thattheir longitudinal dimensions are substantially parallel to and spacedfrom a pair of parallel rails respectively, pouring pitch in betweensaid adjacent rails and curbing elements and then laying a pavementunderneath and between said curbing elements.

3. The method of making a pavement between the rails of a street railwaywhich consists in temporarily supporting curbing on said rails indesired position inwardly adjacent to each rail, supplying an incluratedfoundation for said curbing, and thereafter laying a pavement betweensaid runs of curbing.

d. In a railway pavement construction intended for between the rails,the combination of two elongated curbing elements extending lengthwise,one inwardly adjacent each rail, each of said. elements being fashionedwith an inclined and roughened surface, and indurated material betweensaid elements and conforming to said inclined and roughened surfaces.

In a railway pavement construction intended to be located between a pairof rails, the combination of two concrete curbing elements each inwardlyadjacent and spaced from one rail and provided with roughened bottomsurfaces, and an indu rated support contacting said bottom surfaces.

G. The combination with a pair of trackforming rails, of two curbingelements wider than said rails and extending lengthwise along the innersides of the latter re spectirely, said curbing elements each having adepressed upper surface adjacent a rail head to form in conjunctiontherewith a trough of adequate depth and width for any expectablemovement of a car whee] flange and said curbing elements further morehaving their sides which are opposed to each other diverging in anupward direction and a pavement foundation laid both underneath andbetween said curbing elements.

7. The combination with a pair of parallelly spaced rails of twoelongated curbing elements extending lengthwise alongside of said railsrespectively, said curbing elements having their sides which are opposedto each other diverging in an upward direction, a yielding substancebetween said rails and curbing elements and pavement laid between saidcurbing elements and abutting the opposed sloping sides thereof wherebyloads sustained by said pavement tend to move said curbing elementsapart.

9. The method of making a pavement between the rails of a street railwaywhich consists in temporarily supporting, inwardly adjacent thoughspaced from each rail, curbing elements the bottom surfaces of which arefashioned with longitudinally extending serrations and so that saidbottom surfaces are elevated, supplying a yielding substance betweensaid rails and elements and then packing a permanent induratablefoundation material underneath said curbing elements.

Signed by me this 7 day of July, 1924.

MATTHEW F. BRAMLEY.

